ABILENE, Texas - Competing on their final day of the American Southwest Conference Crossover Invitational, the East Texas Baptist University volleyball team came up short dropping both matches to Hardin-Simmons University and McMurry University. ETBU is now 12-11 overall and 5-7 in the ASC East. 

ETBU would fall in the first match to HSU in three sets (18-25, 20-25, 8-25). Bailey Byas led with five kills. Meredith Augsburger produced nine assists while Savannah Stanley recorded a team-high 13 digs. 

Game two saw another three-set loss (15, 25, 17-25, 15-25) to McM. Byas was again the kills leader with six this time while Cassidy Zellmer contributed eight assists for the team lead. Stanley led in digs with 12. 

Game 1: HSU 3, ETBU 0
Each team worked to a 3-3 tie before HSU would take over with a 5-1 run to lead 9-4. ETBU would rally back for seven of the next 13 points to trail 13-11 with Byas and Contos collecting kills in the stretch. The Cowgirls wound up pulling away with a 9-1 surge to lead 21-12. While ETBU would get as close as 22-17, the lead was too much to overcome as the Cowgirls grabbed the first set 25-18.

HSU would score five unanswered points to start the second set before the Tigers got on the board. Trailing 8-3, the Tigers worked their way back to within 9-7 before the Cowgirls once again extended their lead to 15-10. The theme would remain the same throughout the second set as ETBU would get the game close before HSU would extend their lead. Eventually, the Cowgirls finished with a 25-20 set two win. 

While ETBU would grab the lead in set three early, the Cowgirls would regain momentum as they pushed to a 9-2 edge. The closest the Tigers would get to was 10-5, but the Cowgirls' lead would prove too much as they wound up completing the three-set sweep 25-8. 

Game 2: McM 3, ETBU 0
Facing an early 4-1 deficit, ETBU worked back to a trail 5-4 in the first set. But McM would put together six straight points to make it 11-4. ETBU did put together a 5-2 run to get the game to 13-9. Yet, the War Hawks would grab control and race to a 19-11 cushion.  This would guide them to a 25-15 first set win.

ETBU would start the second set with a 5-1 lead including the first four points with Byas contributing two kills in the stretch. The War Hawks would get the lead back and both teams would play to a 12-12 tie. McM would make another surge as they rallied for six of the next eight points for an 18-14 lead. Two straight Tiger points would be countered by four unanswered McM points for a 22-16 lead as they would finish the second set 25-17. 

Like the first set, ETBU faced a 4-1 deficit in the third set. Byas and Annie Harris would get ETBU to within 6-3 only to watch the War Hawks put up four unanswered points for a 10-3 lead. This would prove to be the difference as the Tigers were only able to get the set to within single digits at 22-15 before conceding the final three points for a 25-15 final. 

ETBU will travel to Houston on Tuesday for their match against the University of St. Thomas (TX) at 6:00 p.m.